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News Briefs

News Briefs

The Bonnie Hays Small Animal Shelter in Hillsboro is celebrating the holidays by counting down the 12 days to Christmas with 12 adorable animals looking for a home.

Starting off the campaign is Achilles (above), a 3-year-old Husky mix that's been at the shelter since Nov. 3.

He likes other dogs, but can't live in a home with cats (because he likes them 'too much').

For adoption information, or to see the other animals in this year's 12-day pet parade, visit the Washington County's shelter online at www.washingtoncountypets.com.

Henningsen joins peanut butter drive for hungry

Henningsen Cold Storage of Forest Grove is helping the Oregon Food Bank in its drive to get peanut butter for their emergency food boxes.

All HCS locations in Oregon will be collecting jars of peanut butter for delivery to the food bank at the end of December and the company will match every donated jar with one of its own.

If you are in the Forest Grove area, you can drop off your donation at their facility at 4124 24th Avenue or at the Chamber of Commerce office (2417 Pacific Avenue).

Firefighter stairclimb comes to Hillsboro

Forest Grove and Cornelius firefighters will take to the stairclimb machines for a solid 24 hours to raise money to fight leukemia and lymphoma.

Starting at 7 a.m., Friday, Dec. 16, firefighters will take turns on the climbing machine at the Hillsboro 24 Hour Fitness, located at 6095 SE TV Highway, continuously climbing for 24 hours.

To make a pledge, or for more information, visit http://bit.ly/roGS89

Two sought in decade-old Gaston gang rape

More than 10 years after a brutal gang rape in Gaston, the Washington County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in locating one a suspect in the crime.

Detectives believe Margarito Reyes-Vasquez, 37, is a serial rapist who may be residing in Washington County under an assumed name. Detectives are seeking Reyes-Vasquez and Feliciano Zarate-Rios, 32, for the rape of two 14-year-old girls in March 2000.

Two other men and a 15-year-old boy were convicted of participating in the abduction and rape of the girls.

During the investigation of the crime, police learned that the girls were abducted in Hillsboro and driven to the area of 40300 NW Dixon Mill Road near Gaston and brutally raped and physically assaulted.

After the crime, the men sped away in a van and the two girls found their way, partially clothed, to a nearby resident's house.

Pedro Vasquez-Garcia, 15 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to sex abuse and kidnapping. He was released from prison in 2007.

Anselmo Vasquez-Vasquez and Felix Vasquez-Aragon pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and rape and will be eligible for release in 2016.

DNA evidence obtained from a bite wound on one of the victim's breasts matched Reyes-Vasquez, police say.

But detectives believe Reyes-Vasquez and Zarate-Rios fled to Mexico following the crime, evading arrest in the case.

Now, detectives think Reyes-Vasquez may be in Washington County.

He is identifiable, police say, by a distinctly deformed chin, with half of the chin appearing higher than the other.

Anyone with information about the crimes can contact Detective Linda Trapp at 503-846-2587.

Two men sentenced in child porn, abuse case

Two men, including former Tuality Healthcare spokesman Brian Costa, were sentenced to more than 20 years of prison for producing pornography with a 15-year-old boy in 2010.

Court records indicate that Costa, 53, and John Dougal, 43, met with a the 15-year-old in Medford and videotaped and photographed their sexual encounters, then shared the images on the Internet with friends.

When the pair were arrested in 2010, police found 4,665 images and videos described by investigators as child sexual exploitation.

Along with that evidence, came exhaustive records of Costa's online messaging with the 15-year-old in Medford and with other purveyors of child pornography.

In those messages, investigators say Costa alludes to the abuse by Costa and Dougal of a 9-year-old beginning in 1999.

'The nature and circumstances of this offense are as serious as have come before this court,' said Judge Owen Panner, according to the Medford Mail Tribune.

Costa was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison with 20 years of post-prison supervision for enticing a minor into unlawful sexual activity and child pornography charges.

Dougal was sentenced to 21 years and eight months in prison for child pornography charges. He also faces 20 years of post-prison supervision.

Both men pleaded guilty.

The evidence obtained in 2010 was found on home computers and there's no indication that Costa used any Tuality equipment in the commission of his crimes.